The invention relates to an automatic feeding device for delivering dry particulate feed to animals in aquariums, cages, stables or outdoors.
Automatic feeding devices have been developed in the past to meet particular needs of owners of animals, most often owners of aquatic pets. This is probably due to the fact that, while other types of animals may simply gorge themselves and then ignore excess feed if given too great a supply, fish cannot escape the effects of the overfeeding. At best, the aquarium will become excessively cloudy and algae growth will accelerate, and, at worst, the fish will be killed. Thus, such devices as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,340 using the air supply to an aquarium to time the supplying of food, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,028 continuously supplying a small amount of food at a time, have been developed, but still may result in overfeeding.
Other automatic feeding devices designed for animals include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,605,679 and 3,993,028 and West German Pat. Nos. 1,507,080 and 2,230,747. All these devices deliver the fodder in a sudden single feeding. If different sizes or kinds of animals are kept together, larger and more aggressive animals will devour most of the feed, leaving the smaller, slower, and more timid animals with little or no nourishment.
What is needed, therefore, is a feeding device adaptable to the needs of the animals being fed, preferably supplying the feed slowly or in two or more offerings per feeding time. The larger and more aggressive animals can eat first and satisfy their gluttony with less feed, allowing the more timid animals a greater chance for surviving.